Naman Shrestha
Netflix’s ‘Outlast‘ season 2 introduces us to 16 different personalities coming from different walks of life, but there were only a few who left an imprint on our minds. One such contestant was Sammy Norris, who put his survival skills to good use and helped out his team go far in the challenging competition. Given his strong personality and impressive bushcraft skills, many might have a few questions regarding his whereabouts after the filming of the show.
Sammy Norris Has Been Passionate About Survival Since Childhood
Sammy Norris, or Samuel Kells, was born around the mid-1990s, and it only took him about 15 years or so to develop a passion for survival. During his high school years, he began learning about survival skills and how to thrive in nature. Since his father had ample bushcraft skills, it appears that he learned most of his skills from him, including building shelters from scratch and crafting weapons for hunting. Originally from Flag Pond, Tennessee, he seems to be leading a nomadic life, going from one adventure to the next.
Sammy Norris Runs a YouTube Channel Where he Showcases His Bushcraft Skills
By profession, Sammy Norris is a bushcrafter, an entrepreneur, and a YouTuber, who is known to get things done or build all kinds of objects using things available in nature. For instance, he built an Atlatl Dart back in December 2022, glue from natural ingredients, a rice and juniper hair wash, a primitive shopping cart with logs, and leather and suede. He even built himself a primitive gym, mainly using logs of wood in March 2024.
About a year earlier, while he was taking shelter in Utah, he constructed a primitive A-frame style log cabin with hand-milled pine and cedar during the state’s harshest winter. It was not only a display of his bushcraft skills but also his resourcefulness and determination. A couple of months later, he completed the construction of the cabin by building the roof and fireplace. He records the entire process of making the aforementioned things and uploads the videos to his social media and YouTube page (@sammysmokies). His skills came in handy for him and his teammates while surviving the extreme cold weather of the Alaska wilderness in the sophomore round of ‘Outlast.’Unfortunately, though, owing to his deteriorating health, he could not make it all the way to the finale with his Bravo Team.
Sammy Norris also has a website of his own that works as a guide to “wilderness living, survival techniques, and embracing a natural lifestyle.” Through the website, his aim is to “inspire and teach about the natural world and how to be in touch with the natural way of things.” It also has an online store where Sammy sells different kinds of merchandise, including Atlatls, Field Guides by Sammy, and hoodies. He has also developed his own app called SK Outdoors App, which is also available for purchase on the website.
Sammy Norris Continues to Embark on Adventurous Trips Around the Globe
Being an adventurer and survivor at heart, Sammy Norris also loves traveling and exploring new places. Fresh off of his survival experience in ‘Outlast’ season 2, he went camping in remote sand dunes after a couple of months in January 2024. He took his dog, Ruko, along with him and enjoyed his nights sleeping under a sky full of stars while enjoying the views of the endless sand and the open water in front of him. The next month, he challenged himself by going on an aquatic adventure in Baja California Sur.
About his experience, he wrote, “In the southern reaches of Baja California Sur, I explore the surrounding ocean life and discover recent human activity. Out of my element, as I usually feel comfortable in the mountain wilderness, I put myself up to a test of an aquatic exploration. A nearby abandoned building shows proof of what was once a human(s) dream of building a life on a remote beach. However, nature can always surprise us with its brutal and unforgiving elements.” He then challenged himself to survive the harsh winter conditions of a rugged landscape in New Mexico.
In late August 2024, he set off to an arid region in Utah where he spent the night along with a couple of loved ones, Molly Norris and Rhys Fontaine, immersed in the wild. At present, he continues to lead a nomadic, secluded lifestyle there. He is planning to drop his first survival course in Spring 2025 — Fire Making. After completing the course, his students would master fire making and could make fire anywhere and anytime using natural resources.
Read More: Drake Vliem: Where is the Outlast Season 2 Participant Now?
